The Embrace
by psychomidget
Summary: As they stalk their prey through the halls of the Naboo Palace, Ashana tries one last time to change her master's mind. T for mild language and suggestive theme. Star Wars does not belong to me, just Ashana. Remember to leave a review, please.


Just a short one-shot of a fanfic I've been thinking of doing since reading _Maul: Lockdown_, followed by watching The Phantom Menace three or four times. Please leave a review. I'm dying to know your thoughts on this! As they say here on , "reviews are love." And I'm starving for love. D:

May or may not turn into a full story, starting where they meet at Cog Hive Seven prison.

"Lord Maul, please," Ashana insisted as she followed the Zabrak through the halls of the Naboo palace, "Let me take care of the Jedi. That would allow you to go after the Queen."

To this, Maul said nothing. The only sound between the two of them now was the clicking of Ashana's tall heels, which seemed incredibly loud now that silence had fallen. The young woman gave a quiet sigh as she lowered her eyes back to the floor. Of course Maul would do whatever his master commanded. Even if it led him to his death, which was cause for great concern on Ashana's part.

She would never say it aloud, but she had romantic feelings towards the Sith Lord. Ever since escaping Cog Hive Seven together and him taking her on as his "slave", she'd always had strong feelings for Maul. There had been times when she thought her heart would burst, the way he seemed to care nothing for her. And there were other times when she thought there might have been just an inkling of something between the two of them, the few times he had shown her any kind of affection.

Subconsciously, her hand came up to touch one of the brilliant blue crystal drops in her earlobes, feeling the cold stone against her fingertips. This was the only gift Maul had ever given her in the few short years they'd been together. She remembered the moment with quite some fondness.

It was just after a mission on Malastare. Ashana had just escaped from a fiery crash in a pod race, surprisingly intact. As she'd stumbled into a service tunnel below the track, Maul had appeared to her so suddenly, she wondered in a brief moment of confusion if perhaps the man had figured out teleportation. He'd pushed her against the wall so forcefully, Ashana was actually afraid of him for the first time. And then his lips had descended on hers ravenously, Ashana's lungs suddenly empty of air. Ashana hadn't even known when her clothes had come off, and neither did she care.

That had been the first time they'd made love.

After they'd recovered their coverings (or rather, what was left of her clothing), they'd started to head back to the ship to report. But he'd stopped her with a hand on her wrist, forcing her to turn around and face him. And then he'd thrust his other hand out, opening his gloved fist to present the brilliant earrings, glittering in the dim, dirty light of the fluorescents.

"I found these," he explained in a flat tone, "You always seem to be attracted to these things."

That was the second time they made love.

Ashana was brought back to reality when her face smashed into Maul's back, who had stopped suddenly. Doing her dead level best to regain her composure, she backed off of him, her face red.

"Your thoughts are muddled," he murmured.

"I apologize, my Lord," Ashana mumbled as she cast her eyes to the floor, "I will be more mindful of them."

At the top of her vision, she saw his cloak swirl, and she was now staring at the toes of his black boots. It was silent for a moment, Ashana not daring to raise her eyes or offer anything incriminating.

A gloved hand appeared in her line of sight, the fingers curling around her face and forcing her face up. She stared up now into Maul's yellow eyes, feeling his fingers digging slightly into her cheeks.

"Stop," he ordered.

Ashana felt confusion well up inside her mind, but she didn't have much time to think when Maul's lips crashed against hers. She felt her eyes widen at the contact, and was even more bewildered. Unlike any of the other few kisses she'd received from the Sith Lord, this one was more gentle, but also more urgent.

A strong arm encircled the human's waist, drawing her against his hard body. Her own hands wound themselves into his dark cloak of their own accord, and she instinctively pressed herself against him. Maul released her face, instead moving his gloved hand to tangle in her hair. She felt the heat roll off of his skin in waves, her own core body temperature responding in kind by rising.

When they finally parted again, Ashana buried her face in his chest, panting from the lack of air. He held her, a surprising move on his part. He'd never shown her this kind of tenderness, except at Cog Hive Seven when she'd nearly died in a match. She closed her own yellow-tinted eyes, refusing to let go of the man.

"Let the fear leave you," he whispered softly into her curls, "Fear will only weaken you."

"I can't…" she managed to say, her own voice muffled by the thick folds of his robes, "I know it's stupid, my Lord, but I'm afraid…that…the Jedi…the Jedi will…"

She was unable to finish her sentence. Ashana didn't want him to think that she thought lowly of his skill, or that he was incompetent. But she didn't want to lose him. This whole mission gave her the worst feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. Ever since seeing the battle between him and the Jedi Master, she'd felt a nagging fear in the corner of mind, surfacing now that he would have to face off between the Master and his apprentice.

"My Lord, please…" she begged weakly.

Maul's hand vanished from the back of her head, once again grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look up. His face was an emotionless mask, unlike the somewhat grumpy expression she had come to adore.

"If I should die," he stated quietly as his horned forehead rested against hers, the tip of one cutting almost tenderly into her skin, "It is the will of the dark side. Nothing can prevent it."

A pain seared through her chest at the statement. He was right, she knew that much. The Force was an incredible source of power, as well as a bitch to its most loyal users.

Tears threatened to spill down her face as she stared up at him, wishing, wanting.

"Don't you dare," he growled sternly.

Ashana looked away from him, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Then go," she muttered under her breath, "Go get killed for that senile old man. He doesn't care."

The Zabrak grabbed her by the face again, forcing her to look at him. His angry, insolent expression had returned as he glared down at her with fiery golden eyes.

"I will return victorious," he snarled.

In her own anger at his insolence, Ashana bared her teeth at him and snarled, "You better. I'll never forgive you if you die."

Her hands moved up to his collar, grabbing fistfuls of the dark fabric and pulling him down to her. She attacked his lips, hungry for his affection. He returned the savage kiss, sounding his approval with a guttural growl. After a long, unbearably hot minute, they parted again. Ashana could feel her lips bruising and swelling from the force of the act, but didn't care as she stared up at the red-skinned alien.

"Return to me," she whispered aggressively, knotting her hands further in his collar, making sure he couldn't pull away just yet, "Or else."

She placed one last feral kiss on his lips before she released him. His arms vanished from around her, leaving her cold as his warm body drew away. He pulled his cloak back into place, flipping his hood up as he turned away and strode down the hall, boots thumping on the marble floor. Ashana watched him go, feeling her heart thumping as each step he took from her left her feeling a tiny bit emptier.

The Corellian squeezed her eyes shut, willing her heart to harden. He would be victorious. And they'd be together again soon.

Spinning on her heel, she marched in the other direction. There were a few things that needed to be taken care of so that her master would not be disturbed.


End file.
